Grohl vented his frustrations during a Q&A session at the TV Critics Association summer press tour, telling a group of television reporters that, as far as he's concerned, those programs run counter to rock's essential spirit. "I don't want my kid to think that the only way you can be a musician is to stand in line at a song contest audition, and then wind up having a bazillionaire tell you you're not a good singer," he argued. "Don't get me started. To me, that's not what music's about."

Not that Grohl's necessarily averse to appearing on TV. Part of his reason for being there was to discuss 'Sonic Highways,' an upcoming HBO series that follows the Foo Fighters on their journey across eight states and eight studios during the sessions for their next album. Describing the November-scheduled project as "all about reinventing the process," he added, "We could just go and make another record in the studio, hit the road and sell a bunch of T-shirts -- but where's the fun in that?"

Grohl hinted at the new album's sound during a separate chat with the Hollywood Reporter, saying, "I couldn't just write a three-and-a-half-minute long KROQ jingle and film it for the finale of an episode about the history of music in New Orleans, ya know? We really had to step up what we do. The music is a progression or an evolution for sure, but it’s a Foo Fighters record."